Category Archives: Pride and Prejudice

Happy 4th Book Birthday to Mr. Darcy’s Bet: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Today, I celebrate the birth of what was my 48th book baby. Now I am well over 60 titles and counting. The idea shocks me!!!  Mr. Darcy’s Bet: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary is a story which came to me … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, eBooks, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency romance, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Half-Pay Officers During the Regency Era

Question from a follower: I’ve often wondered about the term “half-pay officer.” Does an officer who sells out still receive half pay or only officers who retire without selling their commissions (if there is such a thing). My question concerns … Continue reading

Posted in aristocracy, British history, British Navy, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, military, Napoleonic Wars, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency romance, research, war, War of 1812 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

During the Regency, Could a Female Run an Estate in the Absence of the Male Heir?

Recently, one of my author friends sent me her Work in Progress manuscript for me to comment on what she had written to that point. She and I often bounce ideas off each other. Although beautifully written, making me sorry … Continue reading

Posted in British history, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Inheritance, Living in the Regency, marriage, Napoleonic Wars, Pride and Prejudice, Realm series, research, titles of aristocracy, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

What If I Gave “Pride and Prejudice” an “& Juliet” Style Makeover?

& Juliet is a 2019 coming-of-age jukebox musical. The story focuses on a “what if” scenario [Geez! Are not all Austenesque literature also “What If” scenarios?] where Juliet does not die at the end of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In it, Juliet … Continue reading

Posted in Always Austen, film adaptations, Jane Austen, music, Pop Culture, Pride and Prejudice, romance | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What If I Gave “Pride and Prejudice” an “& Juliet” Style Makeover?

Reader Question: What Were the Choices of Carriages for a Lady in the Regency to Simply Travel About Her Husband’s Estate to Sketch and Paint?

CARRIAGE CHOICES: New Question from a Familiar Follower: I have a character in the book I am writing who prefers to keep her distance from horses, but she enjoys painting and walking quite long distances to sketch outdoors. Her husband … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, heroines, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, reading, Regency era, research, tradtions, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Happy 13th Book Birthday to “The Phantom of Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery”

On July 1, 2010, Ulysses Press released The Phantom of Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery. It was the first of my cozy mysteries, and it remains a favorite. In 2019, I received the rights to all my Ulysses Press titles back from the company. I have periodically been rereleasing them with new covers and to new readers.

I would love to share something of the historical tidbit that is the key to solving the mystery, but, what fun would that be for all those who love a good mystery and think themselves capable of spotting the clues early on. Moreover, as I skipped kindergarten (and a few other grades), I never learned to share properly. LOL! The whole “solving the mystery thing” revolves around one key clue all the characters miss. Hopefully, you will you be wiser than they are. Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, British history, excerpt, George Wickham, Georgian England, Georgian Era, heroines, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, legends, legends and myths, marriage, mystery, paranormal, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading habits, Regency era, royalty, spooky tales, suspense, tall tales, Ulysses Press, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Pitfalls of Breaking an Engagement During the Regency Era

Only if a man uncovered a flaw in the morals of the lady to whom he proposed could he even consider calling off a marriage proposal. Once he spoke the words and the lady had accepted, there was no “take backs.” If the man left the woman standing at the altar as a no-show, it was thought he had discovered something of her low character, generally, that she had known another intimately. Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, laws of the land, Living in the Regency, marriage, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading, reading habits, Regency romance, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Practicing Medicine in Jane Austen’s Regency England

In Regency England, the medical field consisted of apothecaries, surgeons, and physicians. Only physicians could call themselves “Doctor.” Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, herbs, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, medicine, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

‘Kinder- un Hausmärchen’ + the Release of “Amending the Shades of Pemberley” + a Giveaway

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of their collected fairy tales in 1812 under the title Kinder- und Hausmärchen. By 1822, the brothers had published three volumes containing 170 tales total with subsequent editions bringing that number to over 200. Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, books, British history, customs and tradiitons, eBooks, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, literature, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, tall tales, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Cecil Sharp’s Influence on “Amending the Shades of Pemberley” + a Giveaway

As with many folk songs, the author and date of origin of “Hush, Little Baby” remain an unknown. The English folklorist Cecil Sharp collected and notated a version of this song found in Endicott, Franklin County, Virginia in 1918, but such simply means the song had been around much longer, passed down from generation to generation, with little changes in it depending on whether one’s ancestors were from Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, or Northwest Europe. Sharp, himself, found a different version with complete lyrics in Micaville, North Carolina. A version recorded by James Madison Carpenter on a wax cylinder in the early 1930s in Durham, North Carolina, can be heard online at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website. Naturally, that date is well past the time of my story, but Cecil Sharp discovered such songs over and over again. If you have never heard of Sharp, you will be surprised by all he accomplished. Continue reading

Posted in Appalachia, ballads, book excerpts, book release, British history, customs and tradiitons, eBooks, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, Ireland, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, tradtions, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments